COLUMBUS, Ohio — One of the top offensive linemen in the 2019 class, Doug Nester, could take another year to make a college choice if he desired.

But as he left Ohio State’s one-day camp on Tuesday afternoon, the Huntington, W.Va., prospect sounded as if the pursuit of him wouldn’t last much longer.

“It’s almost to an end with the recruiting and everything,” Nester revealed just outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “So I can start working with that team getting me ready to come in”

Pushed for a more specific timetable, the 247Sports 4-star prospect stated he’d be committing somewhere “probably in a month or so.” As for the favorite in the race for his services, Nester wouldn’t name names. But he did seem to have an eye on the Buckeyes’ practice facility when asked which schools had made the biggest impact.

That could have been a coincidence, but Nester’s interest in Ohio State is legitimate. In March, the Buckeyes offered Nester, who is the fifth-ranked offensive tackle and No. 48 overall player in the 2019 class, according to 247Sports.

In the time since then, the 6-foot-5½, 295-pound offensive tackle’s recruitment has only gained steam. He already held invites to play for Florida, West Virginia, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Virginia, and Nester since has added scholarship offers from Maryland, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Michigan State.

Only no school has received as much public interest from Nester in the past six months as Ohio State. Since the start of the new year, he has made three trips to Columbus, including Tuesday’s camp.

Over the course of those visits, Nester has strengthened his relationship with Buckeyes offensive line coach Greg Studrawa. Tuesday was no exception, as he met privately with both Studrawa and coach Urban Meyer.

“We just talked and got to know each other a little more,” Nester said of his conversation with Meyer. “It’s just a really great experience getting to work with Coach Stud and working with all the coaches.”

Adding a high-ranking player such as Nester would provide a strong start to a Buckeyes’ 2019 class currently without its first commitment. While Ohio State will go offensive line heavy in its 2018 cycle, the Buckeyes took just one offensive tackle in 2017 and will lose both Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince in the next two years. At the very least, Ohio State likely will add two tackles in its 2019 class. Although it’s still early in the cycle, Nester and 5-star prospect Devontae Dobbs appear to be the top priorities.

The interest seems to be mutual, although Nester hasn’t arrived at a decision just yet. This weekend, he’ll head to Tuscaloosa for a camp at Alabama.

“Just where I fit in best,” Nester said when asked what he’s looking for.

At this point, however, the Buckeyes can’t feel anything but good about their chances of landing Nester. And they should know where they stand with him sooner rather than later.